Date: Sat, 08 Mar 1997 15:37:56 -0500
From: Riki Anne Wilchins
Subject: LETTER TO RENO ON ATLANTA BOMBING
MEDIA ADVISORY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Dana Priesing
(703)578-0903, DanaP@WaOnline.com
LETTER TO RENO ON ATLANTA BOMBING
=================================
Cross-section of Gay Groups Sign-on
[February 28, 1997 - Washington DC] ALTHOUGH
REPORTS of the recent hate-crime bombing The
Otherside identified it as a "gay and lesbian"
Atlanta bar, it was well known to residents for
its prominent transgender and bisexual
clientele, who were also potential targets of
the blast.
Today GenderPAC took the step of sending a
letter to Attorney General Janet Reno
highlighting this information, and requesting a
meeting to discuss the bombing as a hate
crime related to gender, as well as a sexual
orientation. [Letter text follows.]
The letter was countersigned by the Human
Rights Campaign (HRC), the National Bisexual
Nework of the USA (BiNet USA ), and the
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF). The
National Center for Lesbian Rights sent their
own letter, endorsing GenderPAC's request.
Erasure at a Sensitive Moment
-----------------------------
The issue of transgender and bisexual
erasure from coverage of the bombing comes at a
particularly sensitive time, as gender
activists are poised to return to Capitol
Hill for the 2nd National Gender Lobbying Day,
May 6th, 1997. High on their agenda will be
amending the recently-reauthorized Hate Crimes
Statistics Act to include "gender identity."
Many feel the bombing presents a perfect
opportunity to show why such amendment is
necessary.
In addition, GenderPAC is set to publish
the results of it's first National Survey on
TransViolence, for activists to distribute at
Lobby Day. The study was developed with the
help of the Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence
Project, and is believed to be one of the first
large-scale studies of its kind.
Noted BiNet's Stephanie, Berger, "Any G/L/B/T
person can be a victim of homophobia, biphobia and
transphobia, regardless of their actual gender or
sexual orientation. We need an inclusive political
vision, one which addresses the true diversity of
oppressions this community faces."
Support from HRC
----------------
HRC had originally written its own letter
to the Attorney General which identified the
bombing as a gay and lesbian hate-crime, and
asked GenderPAC to endorse it. Their
Congressional Advocate, DC attorney Dana
Priesing agreed to endorse the letter, but
inquired about the invisibility of bisexual and
transgender people in the description of The
Otherside's clientele. After discussions
with HRC's Senior Lobbyist Kris Pratt, an
additional letter from GenderPAC -- endorsed by
HRC -- was agreed upon as a suitable measure.
Said Priesing, "We're glad we are
beginning to work constructively with HRC, and
that they are willing to support all the
populations who may have been the possible
targets of this vicious bombing. Kris has been
very helpful; we're looking forward to working
with her on a more inclusive Hate Crimes bill."
Responded Pratt, "Violence affects all kinds
of people across this community - gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender. We want to see
everyone protected from the effects of hatred,
and educating Congress and the Administration
on hate crimes is the right place to start."
[Press release ends]
###
[Letter text begins]
February 28, 1997
Via Facsimile
The Honorable Janet Reno, Esq.
Attorney General of the United States
U.S. Department of Justice
10th Street & Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20350
Attorney General Reno:
No doubt you are aware of the bombing
that occurred last Friday at The Otherside, a
bar in Atlanta, Georgia. Some press and other
accounts -- including a letter recently sent to
you by a number of concerned civil rights
organizations -- describe the bar as a "gay" or
"lesbian and gay" bar. According to local
activists in Atlanta, however, The Otherside
actually was popular not only with gays and
lesbians, but also with bisexuals,
transgendered people (and heterosexual women).
In order to counter the somewhat common
misperception that bisexual and transgendered
people are really just gays or lesbians, we
concluded that it was important that we bring
to your attention the actual breadth of
diversity that existed among The Otherside's
patrons. We note this point because it
underscores the apparent invisibility of hate
crimes against bisexuals and transgendered
persons.
The Need for Greater HCSA Compliance.
The invisibility of bisexuals and transgendered
people in accounts and reporting of bias crimes
ostensibly based on animosity toward
"homosexuals" is a problem we would like to
bring to your attention. For example, the
incidence of reported hate crimes against
bisexuals is rising. In a 1995 survey
publicized by San Francisco's Community United
Against Violence, 146 bisexual people reported
hate incidents -- more than double the number
reported in 1994 in the same 11 cities
monitored. Although violence against bisexuals
remains vastly underreported, we suspect these
numbers will continue to rise. We believe
that if efforts were made (i) to increase
voluntary compliance with the Hate Crimes
Statistics Act ("HCSA"), and (ii) to make
reporting agencies more aware of the diversity
that exists in the communities at risk, we
might be able to gain a clearer picture of the
actual incidence of bias crimes against
bisexuals and other groups. We would like to
see the Department of Justice devote additional
resources to training and compliance advocacy
in this area.
Hate Crimes Against the Transgendered.
Transgendered people are not even identified
specifically in HCSA statistics, despite the
fact that bias crimes against transgendered
people are frequent and tend to be among the
most brutal. The Gender Public Advocacy
Coalition ("GenderPAC") has collected anecdotal
information concerning nearly a dozen
apparently bias-motivated murders of
transgendered persons since 1990, and believes
that the actual number of hate crimes against
this group is much larger. Christian Paige's
March 1996 murder in Chicago, Illinois is
illustrative: Christian, a young pre-operative
transsexual, was bludgeoned about the head,
strangled, and stabbed many times in the chest;
the body then was burned. Local police
reportedly did not consider the murder a bias
crime, although the ferocity of the attack
suggests otherwise.
We would welcome the opportunity to
discuss with you, and appropriate members of
your staff, the bias crime problems encountered
by gays and lesbians, as well as bisexual and
transgendered people. We would like to help
the Department understand the hate crimes risks
that these groups face together, as well as the
hate crimes risks to which each is particularly
susceptible. Accordingly, we ask to be
included in any meeting with representatives of
the civil rights community arising from or
related to the Atlanta bombing. Dana Priesing,
GenderPAC's local representative, will contact
your office to inquire further about this
matter. If you or your staff have any
questions in the meantime, Ms. Priesing can be
reached at 202-347-3024.
Sincerely,
Gender Public Advocacy Coalition
BiNet USA
Human Rights Campaign
National Coalition of Bi and Trans Activists
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
[Letter text ends.]
###
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